Brown-colored water flowing from some Kingwood residents’ water faucets and hoses was a hot button issue this week, causing concern for some and prompting the flushing of many water lines throughout the area.

For a couple of weeks and for some, months, residents have experienced brown water issues, but city of Houston Council Member Dave Martin balks at any talk of another “Flint, Michigan” issue in Kingwood.

“We have been told that crews are in route now to flush the lines, and are hopeful that this will be a long term solution to providing clear water,” Martin said in a statement issued about the water. “At this time, the water is safe to drink, bathe with as well as to cook with and there is no need to boil.”

According to Severn Trent’s Assistant Manager, Graham Beisel, a contractor has been onsite trying to isolate fire hydrants which is contributing to the issue. Due to the calcium buildup in the lines, sediment is working its way through the system causing residents to see brown water coming from their faucets.

According to updated information provided by Jonathan Dawson, a Severn Trent representative, there are many differences between the water issues in Flint, Michigan than is Kingwood such as reported by Dawson to Martin:

“Flint’s water has high levels of lead in it (which can be fatal). The water in Kingwood does not — the result of the lead test = 0.005 mg/l and the limit is 0.015 mg/l

“The water in Kingwood comes from wells, which is naturally much cleaner than lake water. However, this means it is also rich in minerals such as iron and manganese which, if stirred up by main breaks or water hammers, can cause the color issues.

“The water from the wells are crystal clear and tested daily; the water from the storage tanks is also crystal clear and tested daily in accordance with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s (TCEQ) rules and regulations.

“The water color issue has been only found in the transmission mains which is still all within the legal limits — the results of the iron test = 0.040 mg/l and the limit is 0.30 mg/l. The results of the manganese = 0.013 mg/l and the limit is 0.05 mg/l.”

“We flush dead end lines every month to prevent a build-up of sediments in the pipes at 100 locations in Kingwood,” Dawson said in an email to Martin. “We do increase flushing like we have in the past week as needed to remove discolored water.”

All of the tests on the water were conducted by a state certified, third-party testing company.

Severn Trent continues to work to flush out lines to ensure that there are no more issues in regards to brown water. Should residents continue to see any discoloration, they are encouraged to call the city’s 3-1-1 help-line or call Council Member Dave Martin’s office at 832-393-3008.